The funeral for Othman, a former political prisoner under the regime of Muammar Gaddafi and a founding member of the Justice and Construction Party, which was launched by the Brotherhood in Libya, will be held later on Sunday.

The party described the killing of Othman as a “serious prelude to sow chaos and confusion” as it called for “national solidarity... to consolidate the state institutions and the rule of law” in Libya.

The Libyan state news agency Lana said those who carried out the attack had not yet been identified.

Misrata, a port city in east Libya, is relatively untouched so far by the violence and killings that has rocked Benghazi, the cradle of the revolt that toppled Gaddafi’s regime in 2011. - Sapa-AFP